Amid climate change and inflation, coffee’s other bean is getting a rethink up and down the supply chain.
Robusta’s share of global coffee consumption is just 40%. But high inflation is nudging some consumers to trade down to arabica’s cheaper cousin. This shift, in turn, is lifting robusta prices to new record highs in commodity markets. Land under cultivation of Coffea canephora has been expanding, as farmers take advantage of its hardiness, high yield, and resistance to the effects of global heating.
Although specialty coffee professionals have long viewed robusta as bitter, earthy, low in quality, and suitable mostly for commodity products, now it is being treated with greater respect. Some roasters and brands are putting new care into making and marketing quality blends based around robusta or single origin robusta roasts. In places like the Philippines and Brazil, producers are applying more diverse post-harvest processes to the bean. A few are turning out “fine robusta.”
But to realize the bean’s full potential, more industry players will need to study up, experiment, and promote the products. Signs of change have come in places like Central and South America, where robusta is gaining acceptance despite long efforts by many countries to build their national coffee “brand” around exclusive use of arabica, sometimes enforced by law. Now countries like Costa Rica and Colombia allow, even encourage, farming of robusta.
These and other themes were discussed by a panel hosted at World Coffee Expo in Portland, Oregon in April. The speakers included experts from Colombia, Guatemala, Germany, India, and the Philippines.
Merits
The advantages of robusta start at the farm, where this species outperforms arabica in terms of yield, hardiness, and ease of harvest. As a result of lower costs for agricultural chemicals and labor, it is less costly to grow.
Robusta is relatively resistant to leaf rust and insects like white stem borer. It can be grown in a wide range of elevations, from lowlands at just above sea level up to the same high slopes that are preferred by arabica.
Robusta’s versatility and hardiness means that it can play a complementary role together with arabica at some farms, according to Stephany Davila-Hermeling, founder of Encafe, a coffee business education institute in Guatemala. “If you grow coffee on a mountain slope, you can use the lower parts for robusta and the upper parts for growing arabica. Or you can use robusta as a barrier to prevent coffee leaf rust coming into your plantation, since they are taller plants. Or you can use the seeds for grafting.”
Because robusta withstands heat, it is expected to play a growing role in global coffee production as climate change forces farmers to move arabica plantations to ever higher elevations or abandon arabica altogether. Sunalini N. Menon, CEO of Coffeelab, based in Bangalore, India, said robusta might need to survive at temperatures as high as 45–50 degrees Celsius, a level that is no longer rare in India.
The bean’s taste profile and characteristics have some advantages as well.
“Robusta highlights the arabica flavors in a blend, and it can support a rather poor-quality arabica, too. Just 10–15% of robusta in an espresso blend makes all the difference,” Menon said. Robusta is low in acidity, has a strong body, and a high supply of caffeine, which yields lots of crema as well as nice texture.
Using robusta
Growers considering whether to plant robusta need to understand how it is positioned in the market and sold, according to Gloria Pedroza Labin, Colombia-born head of quality at Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG), the Hamburg-based green coffee company. She observed that the specific end use of a robusta can depend on the post-harvest processing method. Will it be mixed with an arabica to reduce the cost of a blend? Or will it be served as fine robusta? Instant?
Menon noted that a dark roasted coffee, whether arabica or robusta, tends to be bitter. When a robusta is given a medium roast, however, it can offer funky, exotic flavors that appeal to the growing segment of the market that is highly interested in coffee and curious to try new tastes. The taste profile also depends on the robusta variety and how it is cultivated.
Robusta plays well in the market in the Philippines, where it accounts for 90% of coffee consumption. But consumers must be willing to pay appropriately for robusta for it to succeed, said Pacita Juan, president of the Philippine Coffee Board. Sellers shouldn’t apologize for the bean, and consumers don’t necessarily need to be informed that a coffee is robusta, according to Juan.
“Many coffee shop owners offer a house blend that features a robusta of a certain origin or roast. Consumers look for experimentation from different roasters and end up not just being loyal to one,” Juan said. “As a consumer in the Philippines you can pick and choose, even between a fine robusta and a robusta of commodity quality. This range of choice will contribute to the sustainability of the product,” Juan said.
Makers of ready-to-drink beverages often seek robusta to take advantage of its higher caffeine content, said Encafe’s Davila-Hermeling. Cold brew coffee, including the trendy nitrogen-infused version, works well with robusta. So do isotonic drinks.
Beyond beverages, robusta can be used to make caffeinated chewing gum, nutritional supplements, or even cosmetics. “It does wonders for the skin,” said Coffeelab’s Menon.
Processing methods
Regardless of attitudes toward robusta within the specialty coffee segment, consumers have not rejected it, noted Juan. There’s a market for the bean not only in commodity products but in the expanding fine robusta segment.
The bad image of robusta owes a lot to bad processing, said NKG’s Pedroza Labin. To increase quality of the cup, you need to focus on post-harvesting processes and select the right one.
In countries where robusta is widely farmed, such as Uganda, Ghana, India, and the Philippines, the washed process has long been prevalent. But in recent years, robustas are following in the wake of arabica, as producers move into naturals and honeys. Some are experimenting with different fermentation techniques. But some trends, like fermentation with fruits, have disappointed farmers because the market underperformed, said Davila-Hermeling of Encafe.
Lessons learned from arabica production are being applied to the robusta species, and the results can already be seen in the cup. It’s a learning process within the industry, said Pedroza Labin.
Producers need to keep in mind that some processing methods are difficult to upscale, due to cost. The solution is to explore a diversity of products using different processing methods to reach different market segments, she said.
“Robusta is not bad. You can have excellent quality with robusta. Applying certain techniques allows for a diversity of products, as well. It helps to communicate the potential of robusta and debunk the myths around it,” Pedroza Labin said.
Varietals
In robusta-first countries like India and the Philippines, producers are well informed about the many different varieties within the species. In India, for example, you can find cultivars like 274, Peridenia, and Coffea Congensis (CG). “Every varietal comes with different flavor profiles and qualities in the cup,” said Coffeelab’s Menon.
All the panelists agreed on this point — that understanding varietals is a key to success in robusta production. Learn the taste profile for each cultivar and ask yourself what type of processing you’d use for it. Yet many producers remain little aware of robusta’s range of varietals.
Opportunities and potential
Education will increase robusta’s prospects, according to several participants. It’s about better informing not just the consumer but everyone along the supply chain. This will help develop and diversify the market and the capabilities of suppliers.
Robusta-producing countries should work to encourage greater consumption in the local market. That way more of the added value can stay in the domestic economy, as it already does in places like the Philippines and Indonesia, said Davila-Hermeling. Offering robusta of higher quality in the local market is a good way to support this process, which will benefit growers.
Juan agreed: “In the Philippines, the doubling of prices for the farmer has done wonders in farm expansion and people are getting interested in not only expanding farms but adding value. So, there’s a lot of cafes, roadside kiosks, especially with the pandemic, and a lot of people growing at home.”
One survey among specialty roasters showed that 20% are using robusta already — but they don’t talk about it and aren’t proud of it. At the same time, many are open to try fine robusta, if the price is right, Pedroza Labin said.
Roasters often complain they don’t know how to roast robusta or have never even tried to. Producers need to overcome this obstacle to market their beans. One way is to learn from roasters in countries where robusta is esteemed, like the Philippines.
Sharing your know-how will support education, said Davila-Hermeling. “We tend to underestimate the power of collective knowledge here. Nobody knows it all. Learn something new and share it with others. There’s a big community in Facebook forums for producers, roasters, etc.”
The successful marketing of arabica over the past three decades offers valuable lessons from throughout the world that can help in promoting robusta. As Davila-Hermeling put it, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.
“Put yourself out there with your robusta and share the story. There’s no need for a fancy website. Just tell what needs to be told,” she said.
Europe is a good market to start, said Pedroza Labin. “People are used to robusta. It’s embedded in the coffee culture, and it’s an essential part of the blends.” Consumers are more open to try robusta, and European roasters have already contributed to spreading the word about it. This message is now reaching other countries, including the U.S.
“Think about what makes sense in your business. Is it a good investment? Growing robusta is all about profitability, too,” she said.
Fears that robusta will someday displace arabica are misplaced. Better to think about the benefits of increasing its role. “It’s possible that certain volumes of arabica will be replaced by robusta,” said Pedroza Labin. “But in general, it’s adding more value for the producing countries.”